Hard metal composition



Patented Feb. 24, 1931 STATES U sl ELOYD C. KELLEY, OF SCHEN'ECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB TO COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YOK;

ELEGTBIG 1mm) METAL comrosrrron such tools and dies either by a process as disclosed in the patent to Schroter No. 1,549,615, or by the processes as disclosed in copending application of S. L. Hoyt, Serial No. 181,536, filed April 6, 1927, or in copending application of E. G. Gilson, Serial No. 187,328, filed April 28, 1927, now Patent No. 1,756,857. In the'Schroter process, tungsten carbide is first formed and the carbide and a metal of the iron group are then pressed together and heated to the sintering temperature of the mixture. This process requires a rather extended period of time for its completion, since several hours are necessary in order to form the tungsten carbide. The Hoyt and Gilson processes are carried out by pressing powdered materials, while hot, in a graphitemold. I have found that, in order to produce the best cutting tools and dies from powdered materials, according to the latter processes, it is desirable and important to accurately control the temperature of, the materials during the pressing operation and this is a diflicult matter when graphite molds are employed since graphite, owing to its nature, seldom heats uniformly. Moreover, when powdered tungsten, carbon and cobalt, for example, are hot pressed in carbon molds, a certain amount of graphite seems to be taken 'up by the contact surfaces of the material pressed, with the result that the composition of the product varies somewhat from time-to time. When the temperature varies, difierent amounts of cobalt are squeezed out even whenthe pressure applied is constant. The loss of the cobalt tends to produce a harder but more brittle material and the segregation of cobalt particles on the surface of the res sed material serves to cause soft spots on Application filed January 7, 1928. Serial no. 245,257. 7

tool holder or when heated to a high temperature.

W'hile attempts have been made to insulate the carbon mold from the powdered materials and ouse metal plungers in the hot press process, this has so far been found to be impractical owing to the tendency of the pressed material to stick to metal plungers at the sintering temperature of the mixture.

According to the present invention, I form a composition consisting o powdered tungsten, carbon and cobalt without preforming tungsten carbide and without employing a carbon mold during any portion of the process. The invention is carried out by pressing the powdered tungsten, carbon and cobalt elements into a desired form and then heating the pressed material to its sintering temperature. When tungsten, carbon and cobalt are cold pressed they will not stick together owing to the presence of the free or uncombined carbon. This difliculty is not present when tungsten carbide is cold pressed with cobalt since such a combination can be readily pressed into shape and will retain its form. In order to hold together the elementsof the present mixture during the sintering operation, I add a small percentage of an alkyd resin to the mixtur for exam Ie, the resin made by the inte action of g ycerine and phthalic'anhydride as described in Callahan Patent 1,108,329, This resin is merely a temporary binder and is volatilized during the heating operation. Other organic materials, such as gum tragacanth, may be used as a temporary binder althou h the results obtained with the latter bin er are not as 00d as those obtained when the alkyd resin is employed.

After the composition has been sintered it may be worked or forged if desired by heating to an elevated temperature, 'such as 1375 C. and pressing between tungsten or other refractory metal blocks, the metal composition-being unconfined in a lateral direction. When treated in this manner, theproduct obtained is very hard and dense.

In carrying out my invention I add about two per cent of an alkyd resin to a composi- 59 it after it is copper brazed, for example,ato a tion consisting of powdered tungsten, carbon and cobalt; the carbon constitutes from 3 to of the composition, the cobalt from the carbon content of the about 3 to 25% with the remainder tungsten, as described in the above Gilson application. The powders are milled together until a suitable degree of fineness is obtained and are then moistened with acetone, just enough of the latter being added to dissolve the alkyd resin and to stick the particles of the composition together. The moistened powder is pressed into barsunder h drauhc ressure until sufficiently rigid to e easily andled and then placed in closed graphite tubes and fired in a hydrogen furnace in which the temperature can be easily and accurately controlled. The tube and mixture are first fired slowly at a temperature of about 100 to 150 C. in order to cure the resin; that is the slow heating hardens the resin and drives out the gases contained in it without causing any appreciable expansion of the resin. The temperature is then raised slowly to about 350 C. at which temperature the alkyd resin binder is vaporized. Thereafter the temperature of the mixture is raised rapidly to about 1375 C. and held there fora period of about 1 hours.

The amount of carbon in the composit on remains unchanged during the entire heatlng process. The hydrogen has to go through the carbon tube to reach the mixture and it is my opinion that the h drogen combines with carbon in the-tube to orm hydrocarbons which do not have any tendency to change owdered mixture. Numerous tests have in icated that when tungsten and carbon are heated in a closed carbon tube and in a hydrogen atmosphere that there is substantially no change in the percentage of carbon present in the heated composition.

Cutting tools or dies made according to the above process are hard and tough and take a very good cutting edge. Moreover, the tool may be readily copper brazed to a steel holder and does not become brittle during the brazing operation or when heated to a high temperature. If desired, the tool may be worked or forged by heating it to an elevated temperature and pressm it between blocks of tungsten or other re ractory material, the heating being efiected by passing an electric current through the tool and-tungsten blocks. There is no tendency for the tool to stick to the tungsten blocks such as occurs when powdered material is pressed at this temperature between metal electrodes.

Instead of employing a temporary binder, such as an alkyd resin, I have found that tungsten, carbon and cobalt may be fritted together by heating them in a carbon mold to a temperature of about 850 C. and simultaneously applying pressure thereto. The

heating is efi'ected by passing current through the powdered materials. The powders in this meaeoo case should be insulated from the mold and metallic plungers "employed. At the temperature indicated the powdered materials will not stick to the metal electrodes. This temperature is just high enough to cause the powdered particles to adhere. After the powders have been pressed together the material is then heated to a temperature of about 1375 C. for about 1 hours, as previously indicated, and may thereafter be forged if desired.

While I have illustrated my invention in connection with a combination of tungsten, carbon and cobalt, it is obviously not'restricted to these particular elements alone nor to combinations including an element of the sixth group, carbon and an element of the II'OD group. I have found, for example, that magnet or tool steel, such as disclosed in the patents to Honda Nos. 1,338,132, 1,338,133, 0

1,338,134 may be formed into a desired shape from powdered materials to which a temporary binder, such as an alkyd resin has been added. The pressed material when heated to its sintering temperature for about one half hour and then magnetized gives a magnetic density comparable with that of the product disclosed in. the patents. Various degrees of alloying may be secured between the mixture of the elements by controlling the time and temperatures of firing. If desired, this material could be forged in the same manner as the tungsten, carbon and cobalt composition indicatedabove. What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is: 1. The method of forming a hard, tough, metallic composition from powdered materials consisting mainly of a tungsten but containing at least 3% of cobalt and at least 3% uncombined carbon which com- I prises binding the materials together temporarily and then heating'the materials to their sintering temperature to thereby form a hard, tou h, composition consisting substantially of tungsten-carbide and cobalt.

2. The method of forming a metallic composition from a plurality of powdered materials, including atleast 3% uncombined carbon, which comprises binding the mate rials together temporarily, heating the com bined materials to their sinteringtemperature to form a compact mass and thereafter heating the composition to its sintering temperature and simultaneously applying pressure thereto.

3. The method of forming a metallic composition suitable-for. use as a metal cutting tool from a mixture of a plurality of powdered materials,- which comprises adding to the mixture anorganic binder element, press- 'ingthe mixture. together, heating it to a tem perature suflicientlv high to "volatilize the thereafter heating the composition to its sintering temperature and simultaneously preciable amounts of carbon and cobalt,

which comprises adding to the powdered materials a relatively small percentage of an alkyd resin, moistening the mixture with a solvent, 'pressing the powdered mixture together, heating 1t to-a temperature high enough to vaporize the solvent and resin, and thereafter heating to the sintering temperature of the mixture.

5. The method of forming a metallic composition from a powdered mixture consisting largely of tungsten but containing appreciable amounts of carbon and cobalt, which comprises adding to the powdered materials a relatively small ercentage of an alkyd resin, moistening'tlie' mixture with the solvent, pressing the powdered mixture together, heating it to a temperature high enough to vaporize the solvent and resin, heating to the sintering temperature of the mixture to form a compact mass, and thereafter heating the composition to an elevated temperature and pressing it while hot.

6. The method of forming a composition suitable for use as a metal cutting tool whichcomprises mixing an appreciable amount of powdered carbon and an appreciable amount of an element. of the iron group with a powdered element of the sixth group of Mendelejetfs periodic table, adding an alkyd resin thereto, moistening the mixture with a solvent, pressing the mixture together, evaporating the solvent and resin, and heat-' ing the remaining mixture to its sintering temperature.

7. The method of forming a composition suitable for use as a metal cutting tool which comprises mixing an appreciable amount of powdered carbon and an appreciable amount of an element of the iron group with a powdered element of the sixth group of Mendelejefis periodic table, adding an alkyd resin thereto, moistening the mixture with a solvent, pressing the mixture together, evaporatingv the solvent and resin, heating the mixture to its sintering temperature, and thereafter heating the composition to an elevated temperature and pressing'it while hot.

8. The method of forming a metallic composition from powdered materials consisting largely of tungsten but containing appreciable amounts of carbonand metal the iron group, which comprises mixing the powdered materials, binding themtogether temporarily, heating the mixture to Its sintering temperature and thereafter simultaneously pressing the mixture and heating it at an :levated temperature.

9. The method of forming a metallic composition suitable for useas a metal cutting tool which comprises mixin powdered materials consisting lar 1y 0 an element of the 6th group of Men elejefis periodic table but containing appreciable amounts of carbon and metal 0 the iron group, binding the powdered materials together temporarily, heating the mixture to its sintering temperature and thereafter simultaneously pressingl the mixture and heating it at an elevate temperature.

10. The method of making a metallic composition from mixed powdered materials consisting mainly of tungsten but containing from 3 to free carbon and an appreciable amount but not more than cobalt which comprises binding the powdered materials together temporarily and then heating them to their sintering temperature. a

11. The method of forming a metallic composition from mixed powdered materials consisting mainly of tungsten but containing from 3 to 10% carbon and an appreciable amount but not more than 25% cobalt and a few per cent of a ,binder element which comprises pressing said materials together, heating to a temperature sufiiciently high to volatihze the binder and thereafter heating to the sintering temperature of the composi tion. a

12. The method of formi a metallic composition from mixed pow ered materials copsistin mainly of an element of the 6th group of endelejefis periodic table but containing from 3 to 10% carbon, an appreciable amount but not more than 25% of an element of the iron grou' and a few per cent of a binder element w 'ch comprises pressing the materials together, heatin to a temperature sufficiently high to volatilize the binder element, and thereafter heating to the sintering temperatureof the composition to form a compact mass.

13. The method of forming a metallic composition from mixed powdered materials consisting mainly of an element of the 6th group of Mendelejefis periodic table but containing from 3 to 10% carbon, an appreciable amount but not more than 25% of an element of the iron group and a few per cent of a binder element which comprises pressing the ma terials together, heating to a temperature sufliciently high to volatilize the binder element, then heating to the sintering temperature of the composition to. form a compact mass and thereafter'heating the composition to an elevated temperature and pressing it f while hot.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 6th day of J anua 1928.

FLOYD KELLEY. 

